Cocktail Chronicles
An excellent blog by a man who has more cocktail books than I thought were published.

cocktailnerd
Gabriel has crafted a fine site and shares some of my pain with a state-run liquor system. He also manages to post about 4000 times more than me, and it’s always interesting!

Dave’s Drinks
Anyone who posts about exotic cocktails makes it on this blogroll!

Days That End In “Y”
An all-around drinking blog that posts quality news on the world of spirits, beer, wine, gadgets… the list goes on, as do the posts, which are too numerous to count. “Updated frequently” would be an understatement.

Dr. Bamboo
A fellow Pennsylvanian with a penchant for art and fine cocktails.

Favorite Posts

30+ bloggers, readers, and bartenders met this past Thursday in the Mixoloseum Chat Room to mix up brand new cocktails never before seen. Like the past few weeks, a theme developed during the night which resulted in us slinging up drinks with cinnamon syrup. Cinnamon has many friends in the spirit world such as grapefruit juice, but what about absinthe?

After many failed attempts at combining cinnamon syrup and various other spirits, Gabriel from cocktailnerd came up with the winning cocktail of the evening. This insane combination works so well, and is so unique, that it rose above some other really great cocktails throughout the evening.

Prodigal

2oz Carpano Antica

1/2oz absinthe

1/2oz cinnamon syrup

lemon twist, for garnish

Build over ice and give it a quick stir. Twist to release oils and chuck the peel.

Motu Marae

Nick, a bartender from Milwaukee, provided us with this delight. I didn’t have any maple syrup around, so I went with buckwheat honey, which I mistakenly forgot to warm up before shaking. Nevertheless, the heavy dose of bitters is what makes this one a stand-out.

Bacon Flip

2 1/4oz bourbon (bacon-infused if you have it)

1/4oz maple syrup

4 dashes Fee’s whiskey barrel-aged bitters

1 whole egg

Shake with ice and much intensity then strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Nick

Chris, a bartender from central NJ, offered up these two cocktails, both of which were highlights of the night for me. Then again, anything that’s a variation on the Pimm’s Cup will cause me to giggle. Though, it did prompt a heated comment by cocktail blogger Jay Hepburn from Oh Gosh! Chris’s second, the Violet Honi, was disturbingly gray but rather tasty. Any tips on getting creme de violette to not turn everything it touches into silver?

Pimm and Proper

1 1/4oz Pimm’s No. 1

1/2oz gin (used Plymouth)

1/4oz orange curacao (used Grangala)

1oz lemon juice

1/2o. simple syrup (used demerara)

1 dash Angostura bitters

3-4 oz. seltzer or ginger beer

lemon twist, for garnish

Build in a glass and top with seltzer or ginger beer. Garnish.

Chris

Violet Honi

1oz white rum

1/2oz creme de violette

1oz lemon juice

1 dash simple syrup

Shake with cracked ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Chris

SeanMike actually named this drink on his blog, but I do not accept the legitimacy of his choice. This one definitely grew up in dessert drink land and may be enough excuse for me to pick up that bottle of Castries I’ve been eying.

Unnamed Cocktail

The remaining three drinks were developed by Chris, Matt from Rum Dood, and myself. They were all good efforts, but I think the Sid Meier Swizzle comes out on top for taste and the Tequita for originality in combining tequila, orgeat syrup, and Peychaud bitters.

Grapefruit Swizzle

1oz dark Jamiacan rum (used Coruba)

1oz Appleton Extra

1oz grapefruit juice

1/2oz simle syrup

1 dash Fee’s aromatic bitters.

1/2oz club soda, to top

1/2oz lemon hart 151, floated

Swizzle with a Dwarven barrel-full of crushed ice. Top with soda. Float the Lemon Hart.